News

9 September 2014

The Apple Watch and iPhone 6.

APPLE last night unveiled a new smartwatch, two larger iPhones and a
mobile payments service, as chief executive Tim Cook set a bold new direction
for the technology giant taking it into a host of new markets.

At an event in San Francisco, the company took the wraps off a larger,
4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, which bring even higher quality
screens and better cameras to Apple’s hit smartphone range.

But the star of the show was a long-rumoured wearable device called
Apple Watch that lets users send and receive messages, answer calls to an
iPhone and much more.

Cook described the smartwatch, to be launched in early 2015, as being
part of “the next chapter in Apple’s story… It’s the most personal device we’ve
ever made,” he added.

Topping off the event, Apple entered the mobile payments space with
Apple Pay, launching in the US this year.

It allows iPhone 6 and Apple Watch users to ditch bank cards in favour
of contactless payments using just their Apple device in shops. Apple Pay works with the American Express,
MasterCard and Visa platforms issued by the most popular US banks, including
Bank of America, Chase and Citi.

“Everyone wins,” said JPMorgan Chase chairman and chief executive Jamie
Dimon, adding that the system would be more secure than tradit­ional card
payments due to Apple’s use of fingerprints to authorise the payments.

APPLE WATCH

Apple’s smartwatch will go on sale in “early 2015”, starting at $349
(£216) and will come in two different sizes. It will also feature a host of different watch
straps. As well as replying to text
messages and pulling up maps on the go, the Watch will be open for developers
to build a variety of apps, including the much anticipated telemetric ‘health-monitoring’ advances.

iPHONE 6

The 4.7-inch iPhone 6, and its larger brother the 5.5-inch iPhone 6
Plus, are available to pre-order this Friday and go on sale next Friday on EE,
Three, O2 and Vodafone. The iPhone 6
starts at £539 off-contract while the iPhone 6 Plus starts at £619. Both devices will likely be cheaper when
bought on-contract.